Inside the ropes at Colonial: ’04 winner Flesch is tied for third after ending long dry spell

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Tom Fox/Staff Photographer

PGA Tour golfer Ryan Palmer had to make a drop after his ball was unplayable after landing at the base of the tree on No. 5 of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial golf tournament in Fort Worth, Friday, May 24, 2013. Palmer double bogeyed the hole. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)

FORT WORTH — Steve Flesch shot 68 in Thursday’s first
round. That score would have to hold up as his birthday party given that he was
too tired to celebrate.

After an injury-plagued year that included shoulder surgery and 12 missed
cuts in 12 events, Flesch is making only his third start of 2013.

At 46 he is not in the prime of his golf career, and he has ventured into TV
analysis.

But there Flesch was Friday, on an old-fashioned course where he won in 2004,
shooting 64. He enters the weekend at 8 under, tied for third. He could have
thrown another celebration for snapping his streak of missed cuts at 16. The
last cut he made was the 2011 Frys.com Open.

“Maybe tonight we will actually have a birthday dinner, and I will have a
couple of cold ones,” Flesch said.

Despite all the adversity, Flesch posted his best of 53 rounds at Colonial.
He is making his 16th straight start.

“I told my wife when we drove over here Sunday afternoon it’s kind of like
coming home,” Flesch said. “It’s just a place I feel really comfortable. This is
one of my favorite courses on Tour, not only because I won here but because you
have to maneuver the ball. It takes more than just bombing it to play well.”

Flesch warmed up by playing the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in
February and last week’s HP Byron Nelson Championship. He missed the cut in both
starts. He is playing on a major medical extension, so he could use some coin to
maintain his status.

Through 36 holes, he has hit 28 greens and averaged 1.7 putts per green in
regulation. He had two bogeys Thursday and zero Friday — just six birdies.

“I’ve honestly been playing hurt for the last two years,” he said. “It isn’t
much fun. Last year was no fun at all. I’m finally healthy, and it’s nice to
play.”

Weather woes: Rainstorms delayed the second round for two
hours and 10 minutes. The sirens forced players off the course at 12:18 p.m.,
and play resumed at 2:28. It was halted again at 6:38 p.m. with 54 players on
the course. The second round will resume at 7:15 a.m. Saturday.

Two pull out: Patrick Cantlay withdrew because of a back
injury after seven holes Friday, and D.H. Lee pulled out after 14 holes. Cantlay
was 8 over. Lee stood at 12 over after making triple-bogey on No. 5. Hopefully
both made their flights.

Party time: Johnson Wagner earned a spot on Ropes’
prestigious Wall of Champions for Sarcastic Celebrations.

He, Charlie Beljian and Kyle Stanley were stranded on the ninth green, their
last hole, when they were forced off the course. Wagner, who had a couple of
hours to contemplate his 17-footer, drained the birdie putt, looked to the
heavens and pumped his arms as if he’d just won the Super Bowl.

Wagner’s 69 moved him to even, one stroke on the wrong side of the cut
line.

Back-nine burner: Josh Teater is going Hogan on the back
nine. He is 10 under on those holes through two rounds.

That’s the best cumulative score on the back side since 1983, when the Tour
started keeping stats for real. Previous best mark was 8 under by David Toms in
2011 and Brad Faxon in 1997.

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